


can't start a fire without a spark

by gossipgays



Series: dancing in the dark [2]
Category: Scream (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Deleted Scenes, F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 19:31:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9138616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gossipgays/pseuds/gossipgays
Summary: A collection of scenes from other perspectives, set during various points within the 'dancing in the dark' verse.





	1. the hardest part of this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello these are scenes that exist because we often feel that audrey jensen's pov is inadequate for being properly sad about brooke maddox and emma duval, so here are a few short bits to help fix that. this first ficlet is set during chapter 3.
> 
> (also like it turns out things occasionally happen when audrey isn't paying attention?? who knew)
> 
> as always, thanks to our betas [explosionshark](http://explosionshark.tumblr.com/) and [seekingoutfriday](http://seekingoutfriday.tumblr.com/)!

 

There was a part of Brooke that wished she was more surprised this happened as soon as she left Emma and Audrey alone together. But she wasn't, not really.

Once she had unpacked and had finished telling Audrey all about New York, Audrey left to go talk to Emma and Brooke was left flipping through the Lakewood news on her computer, trying to distract herself. It wasn’t that she particularly liked the news, but she liked to keep an eye out to see if any of them were making headlines again. It was usually pretty standard stuff, reports on Kieran’s ongoing court proceedings, a piece or two about how the town was recovering. Nothing to be worried about, which was how she wanted it to stay.

It kept her from thinking about Audrey and Emma, at least.

It wasn’t that she was jealous, that would be stupid. She and Audrey weren’t even technically dating, and if anyone even knew what was going on between them it was probably Noah—and that was just because Brooke knew not to even pick that fight. There were no secrets between Noah and Audrey, not anymore. She knew not to question it.

She still couldn’t quite stop herself from worrying about the pending, inevitable fallout from the big reveal of her thing with Audrey. But there was no point in actively fretting over it right then, not before Emma even had a chance to react. So instead she glanced over headline after headline:  _ “Court dates set for Kieran Wilcox trial.” “Lakewood builds memorial for victims.” _

After dozens of near-identical articles, her eventually eyes landed on something new, and her stomach dropped.  _ “VIDEO: Lakewood survivor not such a good girl.” _ Several other stories with similar headlines followed, with more popping up with each passing moment.

After a little digging, she was able to locate the source—Gawker _. _ Fucking  _ Gawker _ . It looked like they had posted the story first not a half an hour ago, and considering the source, it probably wasn't going to be good news. Gawker didn't waste its time on fluff pieces about survivors healing and getting along. She clicked on the link and steeled herself for what she’d find. Realistically, it could be about any of them as they'd all been caught on camera in compromising situations. None of them were good options.

Brooke frantically glanced through the body of the article until she found the video at the bottom. As soon as she clicked play, she recognized it: the video with Emma and Will. Emma’s first time. The fucking  _ sex tape. _

She snapped her laptop shut and leapt off her bed, dialing Noah’s number as she raced downstairs.

_ “This is Noah?” _ he answered after only a few rings. Thank god that they all kept their phones on them at all times ever since last year.

“I know it’s you, Noah, I called you on purpose,” Brooke snapped as she unlocked her car. “Where are you?”

_ “Uh, hi Brooke?” _ he answered, a hint of familiar, dopey confusion in his voice. She could never decide whether it was endearing or annoying.  _ “Is everything okay?” _

“No, and I hope you have clothes on, ‘cause I’m on my way to your house,” Brooke answered, already pulling out of the driveway. “Listen, I need you to text Audrey right now. Tell her keep Emma away from the internet. Gawker got the sex video.”

_ “Holy shit are you serious?” _ Noah swore. She couldn’t quite tell, but it sounded like he was moving something around on the other end, and then she heard typing.  _ “Shit, you are serious. Okay, I’m on it. Shouldn’t we tell Emma?” _

“Have Audrey tell her, she should be with Emma right now. She can't find out on her own.”

_ “Right, okay. I’ve got it.” _

Brooke hung up and gripped her steering wheel tighter. Her own mess of feelings about their weird romantic triangle aside, Emma was her  _ friend. _ She wasn't going to sit around and do nothing, and watch her get violated again.

What normally would have been a fifteen minute drive took her just over ten. She waved past Noah’s mom with a polite smile and knocked on Noah’s door.

“Noah Foster you had better have pants on because I’m not waiting,” she announced as she pushed the door open, not giving him a chance to answer.

“Are you really that worried about pants right now?” Noah asked, already typing frantically on his computer. She had no idea what he could possibly be doing, but she trusted that  _ he _ did. She glanced past his desk, relieved to see that he did indeed have jeans on. She’d already seen enough of his ridiculous underpants for a lifetime.

“Any updates?” she asked, crossing the room to look over his shoulder. She had guessed right; she didn’t understand anything that was happening on his computer screen.

Noah shook his head. “I’m trying to set up a command that will let me put an automatic DDOS attack on their servers, but it’s gonna take some time to get past their automated protections.”

“Right,” Brooke replied, not bothering to ask for clarification. “Did Audrey text you back?”

He shook his head again, still focused on the screen in front of him. “Radio silence. I’ve sent her like five texts now, should we call her?”

“Yeah, I’ve got it,” she replied, already pulling out her phone again. She dialed Audrey and waited impatiently for the other line to pick up.

She heard Audrey huff on the other end, and Brooke didn’t even wait for her to say hello. “Audrey, are you with Emma?”

_ “Uh, yeah. You know, doing what you told me to do.” _ She sounded a little breathless, her voice lower and huskier than normal. Brooke recognized it, and she could only imagine what she and Emma had been doing.

It didn’t matter.

“You need to stop her from going on the internet right now,” Brooke demanded urgently. She glanced over Noah’s shoulder again, hoping for some sign of progress, but it all still looked like nonsense to her. “I don’t care what you do, just stop her.”

_ “Brooke, what the hell.” _ She sounded farther away, and also frustrated and confused. Which was probably understandable, given the abrupt interruption.

“Audrey, listen to me. Gawker got their grubby hands on Emma’s tape. You know, the one with  _ Will _ . So you need to make sure that Emma finds out from you, not from some asshole on Twitter. Audrey, are you listening?  _ Audrey.” _

_ “I just got Noah’s texts, I’m on it.” _

Brooke breathed a sigh of relief. “Noah and I are working on it on our end too, just make sure she finds out from you.”

The line went dead a second later, and Brooke rounded on Noah again. “Anything?”

“We’re getting there. This isn’t just some mouth-breather in his mom’s basement, though,” Noah told her, shaking his head. “I should be able to have it down by tonight.”

Brooke nodded, hands on her hips. “Okay. Tell me what I can do.”

It took several hours and Brooke herself wasn’t much use when it came to computers, but she  _ could  _ supply Noah with coffee and more resources. Even so, she spent most of the night pacing Noah’s room and sending Audrey occasional updates.

It wasn’t until almost midnight that Noah released a big sigh and slumped against his desk chair. “It’s down.”

“You got the story down?” Brooke asked, hopping up off the edge of his bed where she had perched herself.

“I got the whole site down,” Noah clarified, looking a little proud of himself, if not drained. “It was the best option given the time we had. It’s harder to pinpoint just one page, so I just took the whole thing down. Because fuck them.”

Brooke grinned, shaking her head in amazement. “I could kiss you, Noah Foster. I’m not going to, but I could.”

“Ah, well. It’s the thought that counts.”

Brooke crossed over to him and ruffled his hair before heading to the door. He really was kind of like a cute puppy dog. She could see why Audrey cared so much about him.

“Hey, how did you know Audrey was with Emma?”

She stopped at the door, pausing before she turned to face him. “Call it a hunch.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Everything okay?”

So Audrey  _ had  _ told him. She nodded curtly, hand on the doorknob. “Thanks, Noah. You really saved Emma tonight.”

She left him, sneaking out of his house as quietly as she could so as to not wake his mom. She’d rather not have to face the public implications she'd almost certainly prompt by leaving a teenage boy’s room in the middle of the night, even if it was Noah.

As soon as she was in her car, she pulled up Audrey’s number again.

_ “Brooke, hey.” _

Audrey’s voice sounded much calmer and quieter. It was the same kind of whisper that she heard on Audrey’s lips on the rare night that they talked instead of doing anything else. Just hearing it, knowing it was for someone else’s benefit, made her chest ache.

Brooke cleared her throat and steadied her voice so it wouldn't betray her. This was about Emma, not them. That was still the primary focus, here. “Hey, sorry this is so late, I’m just leaving Noah’s place now.”

She chewed on her bottom lip a second, reaching up to pull out the picture she kept behind the visor above her head. Audrey and Emma’s faces smiled back at her, along with her own. “I don’t how the hell he did it, but he worked his techno-magic and broke Gawker’s website somehow. It probably won’t last, but I’m gonna call the lawyer my father’s estate has on retainer tomorrow. He’ll take care of them, or he’ll know someone who can. There’s no way they can keep that up, not when they’re both minors.”

She closed her eyes, pausing a beat before she asked, “Are you still with Emma?”

_ “Yeah, she asked me to stay. She didn’t want to be alone.”  _ There was a tightness to Audrey’s voice that she couldn’t quite decipher.

Brooke opened her eyes and placed the photo back behind her visor again, turning the ignition of her Range Rover. “Good, she needs you right now.”

Audrey released a soft laugh from the other end of the line.  _ “You know, she said the same thing about you.” _

Brooke furrowed her brows. “What do you mean?”

_ “Earlier, before you called me. I told her.” _

“Good, I was a little worried I’d have to do it for you.” Deflect with humor, that way Audrey wouldn’t hear the sudden fear that gripped her chest.

_ “Yeah, I know.” _

Brooke cleared her throat, straightening her shoulders, her chin up. “So what did she say? You sounded pretty distracted when I called.”

_ “She said she didn’t want to be selfish and take me from you.” _

Brooke shook her head, laughing. It was the most Emma Duval thing she’d ever heard in her life, and once again, she wished she could say that she was surprised. “That’s nice of her. Is that why you were all breathless when you picked up?”

_ “Not exactly. She said she didn’t want to stop either.” _

“Look at you, Audrey Jensen,” Brooke smiled, amazed that things seemed to be working exactly like she’d hoped rather than blowing up in all their faces. She knew Emma well enough to know that she’d be selfless like this, but she still had to pat herself on the back a little. “So everything worked out, just like I told you.”

_ “You did tell me, yes. Don’t tell me how it worked out, but it did. For now, anyway.” _ Audrey almost sounded annoyed that Brooke had been right, after all that sneaking around.

Brooke chewed on her lip again for a second, thinking carefully before her next question. “And she’s okay with everything?”

_ “I think she’s worried about other things right now. But I guess she seemed okay, before.” _

Brooke stopped at a light and breathed a silent sigh of relief, leaning her head against the steering wheel for a moment. This was good. This was what she wanted. This way, Audrey wouldn’t have to choose.

_ “Brooke…” _

She lifted her head and started fixing her hair in the rearview mirror. “Mm?”

_ “Are  _ you _ really okay with this?” _

Brooke smiled and rolled her eyes. Audrey was still trying to protect everyone’s feelings, but she had no idea Brooke had been doing that from day one. “I told you, yes I am. I promise. Look, I don’t want to stop what we have. Quite frankly, Audrey, you’re the best sex I’ve had in a really long time and I’m not willing to give up on that if I can help it. But fuck, I’m not  _ heartless. _ I’ve seen the way she looks at you, the way you stare back like an abandoned puppy. It’s cute, actually. A little gross, but adorable.”

More humor, more deflection.

_ “But how could you know? Emma didn’t even know.” _

Brooke almost groaned at that. She had no idea what either of them would have done if she hadn’t intervened. They all would’ve had to endure an eternity of Emma and Audrey’s own personal  _ Wuthering Heights  _ reenactment. “Please, I have eyes. But we can talk about this more later, I actually want to try and sleep a little tonight. So should you.”

_ “Yeah okay. I’ll talk to you later. Hey, Brooke?” _

“Yes, Audrey?”

_ “Thanks for saying that I’m the best lay you’ve had.” _

Brooke shook her head as she turned into her own driveway, smiling fondly to herself. “Yeah, don’t let it go to your head, Jensen. Goodnight.”

She ended the call and parked in the garage, staring at the steering wheel in front of her. Crisis averted. Audrey got what she wanted and Brooke wouldn’t have to watch them be happy and together from the outside. So all things considered, this was really her best case scenario. She wasn’t stupid. She was never going to be Audrey’s first choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> are you sad about brooke maddox yet? we're sad about brooke maddox, come talk to us about it on tumblr at [chiltongirlsdoitbetter](http://chiltongirlsdoitbetter.tumblr.com/) and [dickryders](http://dickryders.tumblr.com/)


	2. slow how you wanted it to be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a little bit of a gap since we posted last, but we hope you like this little tidbit from chapter 4
> 
> also did you know that we love our betas [explosionshark](http://explosionshark.tumblr.com/) and [seekingoutfriday](http://seekingoutfriday.tumblr.com/) cause we sure do

“So, you’re gay now,” Brooke announced bluntly, not even looking up from painting her toenails.

Emma almost dropped her own nail polish, just barely preventing her white bedspread from becoming a soft shade of pink.  _ “Um.” _

“It’s okay, you know,” Brooke continued. She glanced up, smirking a little.

When Brooke said she wanted to hang out today, Emma hadn’t been sure what to expect. It wasn't really clear where they stood, considering their present arrangement involving Audrey. They hadn’t yet had a chance to talk about it with each other, so Emma had suspected that might be on Brooke’s agenda. She just hadn’t anticipated this particular angle, but then again, Brooke had never been one to beat around the bush.

“I know,” Emma replied finally, capping the nail polish in her hands. She pursed her lips, thinking. This shouldn't be this hard to talk about, with Brooke least of all. Brooke was her friend. “I don’t know if I’ve really figured out how to put it in words yet.”

“That’s okay, too.”

“What about you?” Emma asked, cocking an eyebrow at her. Brooke seemed totally unfazed, paying more attention to ensuring her toenails were perfect than anything else. “How come you never told me that you like girls?”

Brooke shrugged, blowing on her nails, her legs tucked up under her. “You’ve been to parties with me, don’t tell me you’re that surprised.”

She had a point. There had been more than one occasion when Emma had found Brooke off in a corner, drunkenly making out with a random girl they barely knew. Emma had always just assumed it was due to influence of alcohol or at the suggestion of a boy, but she now realized she probably hadn’t given Brooke enough credit. Go figure. (She’d been guilty of that a lot, this past year.)

“I guess I always thought that was just  _ Party Brooke,” _ Emma replied, shooting her own smirk Brooke’s way, trying to keep things light. “You never seemed to show much interest in girls anywhere else.”

“That you  _ know of,” _ she chided, amused. “You don’t know  _ all  _ my dirty secrets, Emma. Just most of them.”

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

Brooke scoffed, making a face. “What, and risk it getting back to Nina that it was ever anything more than drunken hookups? She would’ve crucified me.”

“But I’m not Nina,” Emma reminded her gently. She understood why, but it still stung a little that Brooke had never felt comfortable trusting her with this before. “I never would have told anyone.”

“Yeah, I know that now. I can tell you basically anything, you're like a saint,” Brooke told her, looking up from her nails, a fond smile back on her lips. “But things were different then. I couldn’t risk it.”

Emma knew it made sense, even if she was a little sad for the missed opportunity. Maybe if she and Brooke had been able to talk about this earlier, she could have figured this stuff out in a slightly less dramatic manner. Maybe she would have realized why she’d pushed Audrey away back then. Maybe they could have worked out more of this stuff together.

Well, not  _ together _ . Emma didn't think she was Brooke’s type. Probably.

“So you and Audrey, huh?” asked Emma curiously, not ready to dwell on that particular line of thought. She glanced over to Brooke, putting the finishing touches on her right hand. She still hadn’t heard Brooke’s side of it.

Brooke met her gaze with a cautious look. “Yeah, it’s been…” she trailed off, her eyes losing focus as a warm smile spread over her features. Whatever she was thinking about, It probably wasn't something for Emma to know, whichever soft moment Brooke was remembering. “Honestly, it’s been really great. I mean, I don’t know what to call it, but…”

“Yeah,” Emma replied, smiling. She was glad to see that she was right about Brooke and Audrey. That smile on Brooke’s face definitely wasn’t nothing, and the mere idea of taking that away from either of them felt like it could kill her.

She bit her lip, still studying Brooke, who had broken her reverie to touch up her nails again. “So you and I… We’re good, right?”

“Oh, for sure,” Brooke agreed, nodding eagerly. “C’mere, let me help you.”

Emma had smeared the polish on her left hand for the second time. She’d always sucked at painting nails, and it wasn't the first time that Brooke had to fix it for her.

Brooke took her left hand in hers and swiped nail polish remover over her fingers. “Whose idea do you think it was to propose this whole situation? Not Audrey’s.”

Emma watched Brooke curiously as she started carefully coating her nails in polish with a well-practiced hand. “So you’ve... thought about this?”

Brooke glanced up at her, mulling over her words before she spoke. “I know how much you and Audrey mean to each other. I just think we’ve all had enough to be hurt about for a lifetime. Several lifetimes, actually. This seemed like the easiest solution.”

Emma couldn’t really argue with that. She cared about Audrey, obviously, but she cared about Brooke too. Brooke didn’t have a lot of family left, and the last thing she wanted was to be responsible for her losing even more. It was kind of like they were all her family now. Emma had the sudden realization that she could have easily demolished all of that with a single ill-advised kiss.

“Why are you so okay with this?” The question had been on her mind ever since Audrey had told her everything. Brooke had never been a particularly jealous person as far as she knew, but Audrey and Brooke had started seeing each other well before anything happened between Audrey and herself. Technically,  _ she  _ was the other woman in this situation.

Brooke looked up at her curiously, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “You mean you and Audrey?”

Emma nodded, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “I mean, I’d understand if you didn’t want to… share.”

“Emma,” Brooke replied, gently chastising her. “You and Audrey have been mooning over each other for ages, I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. I'm not about to get in the way of star-crossed lovers or whatever. I’ve read Shakespeare, I know how that ends.”

Emma blinked at Brooke, her brows knitting together. “What?”

“You and Audrey,” Brooke repeated, rolling her eyes a little. “Come on Emma, it’s like watching something out of a Jane Austen novel sometimes, I swear. She’s been right at your side for, like, basically all of the worst moments of your life. She’s your rock, I get that. And don’t think I haven’t seen you look at her either, Emma.”

She stared dumbstruck at Brooke, who was still idly putting the finishing touches on her hand. Sometimes she took Brooke for granted, how sharp she was, and how much she noticed. She was sure that was on purpose, to some degree, but how could Brooke have seen something that she’d never noticed herself? She hadn't realized how badly she’d always secretly wanted to kiss Audrey until that night, until Audrey's lips were on her own and she’d tasted her tongue for the first time. Thinking about it still made her heart flutter. “How could you...?”

“Look, you and I became friends just after you and Audrey started falling out, right?” Brooke reasoned, explaining as calmly as though she was talking about taxes or the weather. She reached to set her hand on Emma’s knee, gently rubbing her thumb over her skin, soothing her. “The others never paid attention to it, but I could see how it affected you. You  _ missed  _ her, Emma, more than people usually miss old playground buddies.”

Emma furrowed her brows, thinking back. Brooke had a point. It had never been just a normal falling out between friends. It had devastated her. It was tectonic, like a craggy gorge had opened up between them before Emma ever had the chance to do anything about it. She still couldn’t remember exactly when it had started, she just remembered the way it hurt, especially late at night when she couldn't distract herself with schoolwork or stupid gossip. Not that she’d ever had the guts to confront that. It was far easier to just let it happen than acknowledge the tangled mess of feelings she’d always had for Audrey. And apparently she hadn’t hidden it well enough for Brooke. She really shouldn’t be as surprised as she was.

“So you always knew.”

“I always suspected,” Brooke clarified, squeezing her knee again. “And then after everything that happened, the way you two leaned on each other… That was what confirmed it. There’s no way I could come between what you and Audrey have.”

Emma finally raised her head to look Brooke in the eye again. She was so grateful, so often, that Brooke was there to keep her honest. Silently, she moved to rest her head on Brooke’s shoulder. “I don’t want to come between you guys either. I don’t want this to come between  _ us.” _

Brooke shifted a little to wrap her arms around Emma’s middle, smiling. “Then it doesn’t have to. I don’t think it’ll be hard to convince Audrey to let us share.”

Emma laughed. “So what, we trade off weekends?” she asked, only partially joking. “You get her this weekend and I get her next?”

“Actually, I think you should take this weekend. I think you should go out tonight,” Brooke suggested. “You know, like a real date. It’s Friday, after all.”

Emma felt a thrill rush through her, warmth filling her chest. A  _ date.  _ “What about you?”

Brooke shrugged, finally capping the pink nail polish in her hands. “I’ve got plenty I can do. There’s a few parties I can make appearances at. The usual.”

“Maybe we should all do something,” Emma suggested, not wanting to leave Brooke on her own on a Friday night while she stole Audrey away.

“No, I think just you two should go,” Brooke insisted. “I think it’ll be good for you to figure this out on your own.” She grinned then, a flicker of amusement in her eyes. “You know, to really  _ feel things out.” _

Emma flushed red, catching Brooke’s meaning. She had a way of making making any phrase drip with innuendo. Emma cleared her throat, nodding. “O- okay.”

“If anyone deserves the night of her life with Audrey Jensen, it’s you,” Brooke grinned, pleased with herself. “Trust me.”

Emma laughed and ducked her head, embarrassed. She bit at her bottom lip, feeling a little light and fluttery at the idea. She and Audrey had gotten pretty close to something the other night. She definitely wasn’t ready to put on the breaks before they’d been interrupted. “Is it different? With girls?”

“Not like you think,” Brooke promised, draping herself across Emma’s bed, propping her head up on one hand. “There's not really a wrong way to do it, as long you're communicating and doing what feels right. Y’know?”

“Yeah, of course,” Emma nodded, a little too fast. It wasn't like she was especially experienced. She'd only ever been with two people in her life, and one of them had been the type who thought there was only one right way to have sex. She didn't really like to think about the other.

“Hey,” said Brooke, reaching for her hand. “You'll be fine, I promise, Audrey is… she knows how to be supportive. She's there for you. Plus, she really likes it when you pull her hair.”

_ “Brooke!” _

“Hey, I'm just giving you some tips,” Brooke protested, grinning. She sat up again and waggled her eyebrows at Emma. “I've got more, if you want ‘em.”

Emma chewed on her lip, desperately trying to fight her own curiosity before finally giving in. She reached for one of her pillows, hugging it close as she turned toward Brooke, on her knees. “Okay, fine, tell me.”

The grin that Brooke gave her was one of the widest she’d ever seen, it was like she was just waiting for Emma to ask her about this. She hopped up onto her knees as well, eager. “Okay, so. Audrey will probably take control early on,” Brooke explained. “She likes to do that, she's very… giving. Which, believe me, is  _ great.” _

Emma blushed deeply at that, feeling a tug at her navel. The idea of Audrey and the kinds of things she could  _ give _ was… enticing, to say the least. “Okay, yeah,” she nodded, biting on her bottom lip. “So she likes um. Giving.”

“Oh yeah,” Brooke agreed, that same grin still on her face. “And you won't be disappointed, that I can promise.  _ But.” _

“But?”

Brooke leaned closer, an amused glint in her eyes. “Don't let that stop you from taking charge. If you put her in her place she’ll go nuts for it. Really make her squirm, y’know?”

Emma couldn't stop her mouth from hanging open at that, a few very explicit images flitting past her mind. Brooke definitely did that on purpose, and she couldn't even say she was upset about it. Because deep down, despite her nerves, she was more than ready for whatever happened later that night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen real close brooke and emma are so good please come talk to us about bremma on tumblr at [chiltongirlsdoitbetter](http://chiltongirlsdoitbetter.tumblr.com/) and [dickryders](http://dickryders.tumblr.com/)


	3. chase the sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey dudes, long time no update and it's all blizzard's fault BUT hey if you're lucky you might get a two-for tonight. just saying. this deleted scene is set during chapter 6!

Emma knew what Brooke was doing. It wasn’t as if she was exactly  _ subtle, _ and despite all of Brooke’s accusations otherwise, Emma was smart enough to put two and two together. The innuendos, the lingering looks, the way Brooke kept finding excuses to touch her. It wasn’t hard to see, and neither was it entirely unwelcome. Under different circumstances, Emma had to admit to herself that she would have given in to Brooke’s advances a long time ago. But she couldn’t, not when she needed to be careful for Audrey’s sake.

It hadn’t taken her long to fully understand the weight of her actions and how she could very easily  _ crush  _ Audrey if she wasn’t careful. One mistake and their relationship would come crashing down on them again, and Emma would never be able to forgive herself for that. So, no. She couldn’t just throw caution to the wind and start  _ something _ with Brooke, no matter how much she longed to do just that.

“I think I've got an extra shirt in my locker,” Emma announced to Audrey, doing her best to remain calm and detached as she mopped up Brooke’s wet shirt with a wad of paper towels. “It might be a little big, but it'll work.”

Brooke had pulled another one of her stunts, yet another ploy to get under Emma’s skin, by knocking into Audrey on “accident” so she could spill sweet tea down her front. Brooke had done it so smoothly that Emma had to wonder just how many times she had done this sort of thing before. She thought she’d seen everything in Brooke’s bag of tricks from previous years of witnessing her in action. Apparently not.

“Yeah, I can go get it,” Audrey nodded, glancing warily between Brooke and Emma as if leaving the two of them alone was the last thing she wanted to do. Emma sent her what she hoped was a reassuring look. She wasn’t going to let anything happen while Audrey was gone. “Um, I'll be back as soon as I can.”

Audrey stopped at the doorway for half a second, that same worried look in her eyes. How could Brooke not see it?

As soon as Audrey was gone, Brooke cleared her throat, subtly thrusting her chest forward. She had already opened up most of the buttons on her blouse and it was all Emma could do to keep herself from staring. There was still a small bruise on the inside of one of her breasts, left by Audrey just a few days ago. Her mind immediately flashed back to how that bruise had been created, how Emma had walked in on Audrey bent over Brooke on her giant bed, as if that image hadn’t already haunted her for days now. (She doesn’t remember anything else that happened that evening very clearly, besides a distinct but brief regret that holding the coffee she had brought prevented her from holding… anything else.)

“Thanks,” Brooke said, her eyes dark as she watched Emma finish drying her off. She didn’t make a move to help, instead letting her hands grip the sink behind her as Emma patted at her chest as delicately as possible with the coarse paper towels.

Emma glanced up at Brooke, taking a deep breath as their eyes caught. She could feel her cheeks heat up and she shook her head, looking away again. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not like I’d just leave you like this.”

“I know.”

Emma bit down on her bottom lip, crushing the paper towels in her hand. “Brooke, you’re like the least clumsy person I’ve ever met.”

Brooke smirked, tossing her hair off her shoulder. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m sure you don’t,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “I’m just surprised you sacrificed a blouse for it.”

“I got it at an outlet,” Brooke explained, like it that was an obvious excuse. She reached for the buttons on her shirt, slowly undoing the rest of them one by one. “I don’t think I’ve ever even worn it before. I suppose it’s ruined, now.”

Emma took in a sharp breath as she watched Brooke’s fingers deftly move downward, until she could shrug off the blouse completely. Brooke’s stomach was still wet underneath, and part of her instantly and unhelpfully wondered what that sticky-sweet skin would taste like underneath her tongue.

She didn’t say anything in response (honestly, how would she even begin to respond to that), instead focusing on wiping the paper towels across Brooke’s abdomen, keeping them between her hands and Brooke’s skin the best she could. If she actually touched Brooke skin-to-skin the result could be disastrous.

“Emma,” Brooke said softly, reaching to lift her chin and force her to meet Brooke’s eyes.

Emma stilled, and as she stared back, with no more more distractions between them, she could no longer ignore how close they were. She broke eye contact to hopefully find safer ground, only for her gaze to land on Brooke’s parted lips. This time, she couldn't stop herself from swiping her tongue across her own bottom lip as she wondered idly what flavor lip gloss Brooke had chosen today. She could kiss Brooke right now and find out, if she wanted. They almost definitely still had time before Audrey would be back, since their lockers were on the other side of campus. She’d barely have to lean forward before she could bridge the gap between them and kiss Brooke like she’d been aching to ever since she realized that it was a possibility.

But it was Brooke who moved first, perhaps tired of waiting, ready to put an end to their standoff. She pushed forward, pressing close to Emma and, for a moment, Emma almost let it happen. She was worn down from trying to keep up her guard, her head was clouded with the smell of Brooke’s perfume, and it seemed like last shreds of restraint that she could cling to evaporated in the wake of her desire to just give in.

At the last second, Emma turned her head. Brooke caught the corner of her mouth, and even that was enough to send a shudder down Emma’s spine. Her breath caught her throat and she squeezed her eyes shut, her forehead against Brooke’s. It stung, to reject her like this. She immediately wanted to take it back, to let Brooke kiss her senseless, to kiss her in return. Instead, she held Brooke as close as she dared and breathed a deep sigh against her cheek.

“God, you almost had me,” she whispered, forcing a small laugh in hopes of easing the palpable tension between them. She clutched at Brooke’s waist so tightly that the bones dug into her palms, and deeply inhaled Brooke’s floral shampoo one more time, letting herself pretend just for a moment that she hadn't pulled away. She finally let go and stepped back, before she did something they'd all eventually regret. “Can't make it that easy for you, can I?”

Brooke let her pull away, shaking her head with a small smirk. Emma couldn’t quite read her expression. If she was hurt, she wasn’t letting it show. She got the sense Brooke was almost frustrated, though it didn’t seem like she was upset either. “No, I should have known that it was never going to be this easy with you.”

Emma furrowed her brows, but she didn’t get the chance to ask what Brooke meant by that as Audrey bursted through the door, locking it behind her. She held out Emma’s shirt, successful in her search.

“Got it,” she panted, apparently having run all the way across the school to get it. “I tried to get back as fast as I could. Nobody came in here, did they?”

There was almost a good three feet between her and Brooke now, but as Audrey glanced between the two of them, Emma could see the wheels turning in her head.

“No, not at all,” Emma replied quickly, stepping aside so Audrey could hand the shirt to Brooke. “I’m not sure how well the paper towels and hand soap worked, but at least  _ this  _ shirt isn’t white.”

“Sorry again,” Audrey mumbled as she stepped forward, holding the shirt out so she could help Brooke pull it over her head.

“It’s okay,” Brooke promised, leaning forward to steal a quick kiss from Audrey once the shirt was on. “It was old anyway.”

Audrey shook her head, still looking between Brooke and Emma with a measure of unease. If she suspected anything, though, she didn’t mention it. “Still, that shirt probably cost more than I used to make in a weekend at the Zenith.”

Brooke rolled her eyes and reached up to ruffle Audrey’s hair before she turned around to fix the shirt so it fell right on her frame. It was big on her, but she still somehow managed to drape it so that it didn’t look the slightest bit out of place. “It’s just a shirt, Audrey.”

“Yeah, if you say so,” Audrey sighed. “But we should probably go, otherwise we really will be late for English.”

“Yeah,” Emma agreed, her arms folded over her chest. “You good, Brooke?”

Brooke turned on her heel and grinned at the two of them. “Peachy. Shall we?”

And with that, Brooke pushed past the two of them to exit the bathroom. By the time they made it to English, it was like a switch had flipped, and Brooke was back to all the flirting and playful tactics to keep Emma off-balance. For a moment there, Emma had almost thought that Brooke was going to let the whole scheme go, but if she hadn’t known better, it was like nothing at all had happened between them in the bathroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, if you feel like bugging us you can find us at [chiltongirlsdoitbetter](http://chiltongirlsdoitbetter.tumblr.com/) and [dickryders](http://dickryders.tumblr.com/) on tumblr!


	4. let you set the pace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> set during chapter 7

Victory had never tasted so good. At least, that was how Brooke felt, having finally triumphed in her lengthy pursuit of Emma Duval. In all honesty she was impressed, not just by the sex, but by how long Emma had managed to hold out. Brooke liked to think that she'd always had it in the bag, but she had to admit there had been moments where she wasn't so sure. She really owed it to Audrey for helping her push through there in the end.

(She certainly had plenty of ways to pay her back.)

But it had all worked out eventually. It was a pretty big step, in terms of making the three of them happen. It would probably take some more time, and perhaps a little persuasion, but Brooke was fairly confident at this point that she could get both Emma and Audrey on board. They just had to deal with this trial, first.

Of course. The _trial_. Brooke got a sinking feeling in her stomach every time she thought about it, but as long as she focused on how she was going to get a first-hand crash course on the criminal justice system in action, she could almost distract herself from the fact that this was probably going to be one of the biggest events of their lives. They all had a lot on the line.

She’d already spent her time with Counselor Carmichael (who was _fabulous_ , she could only hope she was that gorgeous and successful by thirty) and right now it was Audrey’s turn to prepare. Audrey, whose testimony was probably going to be the most vital, who probably had the the most riding on this other than Emma. Audrey, the girl who made her feel safe at night.

Brooke had every confidence that Carmichael would know how to coach Audrey, she just hoped that it would take. Brooke might be in stupidly deep with Audrey Jensen, but she wasn't blind to the fact that Audrey was… a bit of a hothead, to say the least.

Deprived of Audrey’s company for the night, looking for any excuse to keep herself distracted, and out of schoolwork to fall back on, Brooke found herself texting Emma.

_[6:32] Scream Queen: hey virgin mary i'm bored and math can wait. Keep me company?_

_[6:33] Survivor Girl: And here I thought the flirting would end after you finally caught me_

_[6:33] Scream Queen: oh u aren't getting off that easy. c’mon, I got a bag of dove chocolate and no one to share it with_

_[6:35] Survivor Girl: Well why didn't you say so earlier? Lucky for you my homework’s finished so I'll be there soon_

_[6:36] Scream Queen: my hero i knew i could count on u_

Brooke grinned to herself and wandered into the living room with the bag of chocolate she’d just picked up with the precise notion of enticing Emma into coming over. She was glad to see that Emma was still predictable as ever.

She flipped on the TV as she waited, settling on old _Friends_ reruns, and she hopped up once she heard a knock at the door. She grinned at Emma as the door swung open, leaning on the frame. “Hey.”

Emma grinned back at her, pushing past Brooke to enter, a six-pack of beer in her hands. _“Hey_. I heard you had chocolate.”

“And you brought drinks!” Brooke gasped her eyes lighting up. “I knew there was a reason I called you.”

Emma laughed and shook her head, following Brooke into the living room. She reached for the bag of chocolate on the coffee table almost immediately, unwrapping one of the pieces and popping it into her mouth. “Oh, is that the only reason why?”

Brooke dropped onto the couch, smiling crookedly up at Emma. “That and now I can openly talk about how great your ass is in skinny jeans without making things weird.”

Emma sat next to her on the couch, trying to hide a blush as she reached to grab beers for them both, handing one off to Brooke. “You are totally shameless, aren’t you?”

“I know what I want,” Brooke explained with a shrug, taking the bottle of beer from her and opening it. “I lost patience for waiting around a long time ago. I don’t know, there's probably a lot my therapist has to say about that, like it has something to do with losing people or whatever. Kind of puts things into perspective, I guess.”

“Makes sense,” Emma agreed, watching Brooke carefully. “Life is short, so why wait?”

 _“Precisely._ I wasn’t gonna let an opportunity like you slip by, Emma,” Brooke replied, cocking an eyebrow at her. “Besides, I'd be lying if I said I haven't always been a little curious.”

Emma didn’t respond to that at first, biting on her bottom lip, deep in thought. She looked up to find Brooke’s eyes again, this time her gaze a little darker. “You mean before all of this happened, at those parties.”

Brooke gave a small shrug, sipping her beer. “You never drank enough for me to have a plausible excuse to kiss you, at least not with an out if you needed it.”

Emma pursed her lips, thinking as she sank further back into the couch. “You know, I kind of always thought that I wasn't your type. Even for those party makeouts.”

“What makes you say that?” Brooke asked, confused. Emma was gorgeous, Brooke thought she knew that she was _everyone’s_ type. But then again, Emma did have that whole genuine humility thing going for her.

Emma shrugged, taking a sip of her own beer as she settled closer to Brooke. “I don't know exactly, I guess I thought you liked brunettes or something. Or maybe that I was too much of a good girl for you.”

“Well,” Brooke replied, a small smirk pulling at her lips. “I can tell you that ‘hot’ is my type, and you definitely fall under that category. I would've done more than kiss you if I thought I could get away with it. The good girl thing is really just more of a challenge. A challenge that I _won,_ by the way.”

“God, I can’t believe you,” Emma shook her head as she laughed, reaching for another piece of chocolate. “You know, if you had just said something earlier, maybe you would've seen my _darker side_.”

Brooke raised her eyebrows at that Emma's teasing lilt, her smirk widening. “Is that right?”

“I mean–” Emma caught herself, realizing what she’d just said. She paused a moment with her mouth open to protest, but then she sat up a little straighter. “You know what, yeah. And maybe I wouldn’t be so… I don't know, _inexperienced._ I kind of feel like I’m trying to make up for a lot of lost time with you and Audrey.”

Brooke shifted a little closer, setting her beer on the coffee table, before reaching to touch her hand to Emma’s cheek. “I don’t mind helping with that, you know.”

Emma leaned into her hand a little, her gaze dropping to Brooke’s lips. They hadn’t kissed since that afternoon in the locker room a few days ago, but Brooke couldn’t get it out of her head. She’d had an almost painful yearning to kiss Emma again ever since.

When Emma finally leaned in to close the gap between them, Brooke met her eagerly, pulling closer and grasping onto her waist. There was still a trace of chocolate on Emma’s tongue, and that paired with the beer and something that she had come to recognize as distinctly _Emma_ was enough to make her feverish. Yeah, these clothes were going to have to come off as soon as possible.

She threaded her fingers through blonde hair and snuck her hand up Emma’s shirt, wasting no time. She felt Emma gasp against her lips at the contact and she grinned—it would be a long time before stealing Emma’s breath like this would get old. Carefully, she took the bottle of beer from Emma’s hands to place it on the coffee table as well and returned to find Emma breathless and rosy-cheeked.

“You okay?” Brooke asked, pulling herself into Emma’s lap, knees on either side of her hips.

Emma looked up at her like she had stars in her eyes, letting her hands settle on Brooke’s waist. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m very okay.”

Brooke laughed and reached for the hem of Emma’s shirt. “Good, ‘cause we’ve got a lot of work to do if we’re gonna get you up to speed.”

Emma raised her arms to let Brooke tug the shirt over her head before shifting a little underneath Brooke, shy.

“Hey, it’s just me,” Brooke told her, settling her hands on Emma’s waist again. Her thumb brushed past the scar on Emma’s side and she felt Emma flinch, though just barely.

“Sorry, it’s… It’s nothing, I just hate it,” Emma explained, dropping her gaze.

Brooke reached for the hem of the big sweatshirt she had on, swiftly pulling it off and tossing it aside. She took Emma’s hand and pressed it to her side, where her own scar still marred her skin. “I know. But we match, dummy.”

Brooke watched as realization dawned on Emma, her features softening. A small smile pulled at her lips and she shook her head. “Yeah, we do.”

She sat up straighter and tilted her head up to nudge her nose to Brooke’s, a little more confident. She reached around Brooke’s waist and found the clasp on her bra to tug it free. Brooke smiled at that, nodding her encouragement as Emma slowly pulled it the rest of the way off.

“God…” Emma swore, her eyes widening a little, lips parted. She touched her fingertips to Brooke’s skin gingerly, almost like she was afraid of breaking her.

“Still doing alright?” Brooke chuckled fondly, reaching to touch Emma’s cheek.

“Yeah, sorry,” Emma laughed, shaking her head. “It’s just that… I don’t know, recently I’ve been having a lot of these moments where I can’t believe how long it took me to realize that I’m gay.”

“There are worse ways to learn,” Brooke mused with a grin, She settled closer in Emma’s lap, pressing her chest into Emma’s hands. “C’mon, Em. Now’s your chance to do anything you want with me.”

Emma smiled at that, tilting her head up to steal a kiss, letting it linger before she murmured, “I want _you,_ Brooke.”

Brooke exhaled, holding Emma’s face in her hands, heat flaring in her abdomen and between her legs. “Then take me.”

Barely a beat passed between them before Emma had pressed forward again, catching Brooke’s mouth hungrily. She reached to pull at Brooke’s shorts, hooking her fingers into the elastic so she could draw them off of her. They had to detach themselves from each other to tug off the rest of their clothes, but when they settled on the couch again there wasn’t a scrap of fabric between them.

Brooke found herself on top of Emma once more, who was perched against the armrest of the couch, throw pillows behind her head. Emma reached to pull Brooke close, pressing a hard kiss to her lips and allowing her hands to roam every inch of bare skin that she could reach.

Brooke’s own hands found Emma’s chest, drinking in her pale skin, and she grinned at the soft gasp she got when her fingertips passed over Emma’s nipples. She sighed into Emma’s mouth, intoxicated on the faint taste of chocolate that still lingered on Emma’s tongue. She was caught by surprise when she suddenly felt fingertips press between her legs.

 _“Emma,”_ she gasped, tilting her hips into Emma’s hand.

Emma didn't reply, instead circling the tip of her finger around the hard nub between Brooke's thighs. She pressed another kiss to Brooke’s mouth, almost in question.

“That’s right,” Brooke encouraged in a ragged whisper. She pressed into Emma’s hand, wanting more.

And more she got, digging her nails into the fair skin at Emma’s ribs when she felt Emma slip a finger into her. She gasped and let herself sink onto Emma’s hand. Judging from the next thrust, Brooke could tell that Emma was getting more sure of herself.

Emma slipped another finger into Brooke to join the first, stroking her inner wall as Brooke joined in on her rhythm. She rode Emma’s fingers with eager fervor, losing herself as Emma steadily brought her closer to the edge.

Emma may have been somewhat new to this, but she'd apparently learned plenty with Audrey. She pressed the heel of her hand to Brooke’s front to help her find release and Brooke bucked her hips forward, groaning softly. It somehow made even relatively simple things like this more intense, to get them from Emma. Emma, who used to be so scandalized by the stories that Nina would tell about her latest conquest, who used to blush deliciously at the suggestion of anything other than regular old vanilla sex. It was almost tragic, what they could have been doing all this time if she had any idea Emma had it in her.

Her internal musings were abruptly cut off as Emma suddenly curled her fingers _just right_ and Brooke unintentionally let out a moan so lengthy and loud that it left even her feeling positively filthy. Emma’s response was split between a furious blush that extended all the way down to her chest and a small, proud grin that lit up her whole face and somehow ratcheted Brooke up even higher. She covered up both by leaving kisses along Brooke’s neck, her lips eventually finding her earlobe in yet another show of boldness. She wrapped her lips around it and gently sucked, and for a moment Brooke thought she might black out.

She _had_ wanted to make it last, but the combination of Emma’s teeth around her earlobe and her fingers hitting just the right spot was too much. She couldn't hold on any longer, and when she felt Emma press the heel of her hand into her again she gasped out a cry. She trembled against Emma, canting her hips into Emma’s hand before collapsing onto her chest.

Emma ran her free hand along Brooke’s spine, gently soothing her to recovery. Brooke felt small against Emma’s chest like this; and it was honestly a feeling that she kind of missed sometimes with Audrey. She kissed along Emma’s jaw until she found her lips again, kissing her deeply.

“You know, I think you've got a lot less ground to make up than you think, Em,” she murmured, cradling Emma's face in her hands.

Emma grinned, looking pleased with herself (and rightly so). “Maybe. But I'm sure you've still got plenty to show me.”

 _“And_ we’ve still got at least another hour or two before Audrey gets done,” Brooke pointed out with a grin. She slipped off of Emma’s lap and reached out her hand, beckoning her. “C’mon.”

Emma grinned and followed her, grabbing the bag of chocolate and their beer to take upstairs.

After finishing the beer and half the bag of chocolate, Brooke was altogether pleased with how fast of a learner Emma was. Will used to complain about how boring the sex had been while he was dating Emma, but it was obvious now that he just wasn't the right person. Emma caught on quick.

They finally pulled clothes on again (Emma was half a foot taller than her, but Brooke was able to find an oversized t-shirt and a pair of shorts that mostly fit) and settled on Brooke’s bed just in time to hear the front door swing open. Brooke shared a smirk with Emma and a few moments later Audrey appeared at the doorway.

She tilted her head at the two of them on the bed, holding a beer stolen from the pack they left downstairs. “Did you two have sex?”

Brooke cleared her throat and sent Audrey a sly grin. “What makes you think that?”

“Well, the clothes you left downstairs were the first clues,” she smirked, twisting the cap off her beer. “And second, you both look _thoroughly_ fucked.”

Brooke just shrugged at her instead of answering definitively, looking over to Emma to catch the blush on her cheeks.

 _“Man,”_ Audrey complained, crossing over to the bed to join them. “And I had to spend all night with Carmichael, what a rip.”

Brooke laughed and both she and Emma moved to either side of Audrey. “Hey, maybe next time you’ll get an invite.”

“Besides,” Emma added, reaching to steal a sip from Audrey's beer. “It's not like you didn't get to watch last time.”

Audrey’s jaw dropped and she gaped at Emma, a rosy hue rising to her cheeks. “Oh my god, you knew too? Did Brooke tell you?”

“Please,” Brooke laughed, reaching for the bottle of beer after Emma. “You weren't nearly as quiet as you thought you were. We both heard you when you tried to hide after.”

Audrey looked between the two of them, her mouth still hanging open. “Well, fuck.”

“If either of us were upset about it you'd know by now,” Emma pointed out, reaching to smooth Audrey's bangs.

“We should probably be thanking you, actually,” Brooke added, a hand rested on Audrey's leg.

Audrey cleared her throat. “Well. When you figure out how you want to… thank me,” she replied, her eyes hooded despite her awkward delivery. “You know where I am.”

Brooke shared a look of understanding with Emma. Perhaps this was going to be a lot easier than she thought. It very much seemed like they were all on the same page.

In the silence and shared understanding that fell between them, the sound of a phone ringing downstairs floated through Brooke’s open door.

“Crap, what time is it?” Emma asked, twisting around to try and find a clock.

“It was like eight-thirty when I left the courthouse,” Audrey supplied, taking her beer back. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I should just get back,” Emma replied, standing up. “That’s probably my mom. She doesn’t like it when I stay out late anymore.”

Which was understandable. The only reason Brooke got away with staying out late is because her mom was never home enough to give a shit, and Audrey usually lied to her dad about where she was. It was easy since dad was taking trips to Boston a lot more frequently, nowadays.

“Well call us if you need anything,” Brooke told Emma, leaning to rest her head on Audrey’s shoulder. “Or if you want to press your luck and sneak away from your mom.”

“Tempting,” Emma smiled, she stopped to plant kisses on each of their foreheads. “But I should probably play it safe. For now.”

“Boo,” Brooke huffed.

“Goodnight guys,” Emma laughed, waving to both of them at the door before she disappeared downstairs to gather her things.

As soon as she was gone, Audrey turned to Brooke with raised eyebrows.

“What,” Brooke grinned. “You want a play-by-play?”

Yeah, once they finally got the chance to do something about this, Brooke was pretty sure it was gonna be cake.


	5. how many secrets can you keep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember if this hurts you it hurt us just as much to write it

“I know I told Emma I’d send you home, but will you come in? Just for a little bit.”

That last part was just a lie, Brooke knew, but it was the only way she could think of to make herself feel better about going against Emma’s instructions. Brooke and Audrey had left Emma’s house just a few minutes ago, and Brooke was supposed to send Audrey home so they could both rest up for their first day of trial in the morning, but she just couldn’t do it. She had thought about trying to face the night alone and the idea made the painful grip of dread in her chest tighten unbearably. She didn’t want Audrey to go home. She couldn’t face this night alone.

Audrey turned to her and her expression softened as she nodded, agreeing to the request. “Yeah, of course.”

Relief washed over Brooke, alleviating just a little bit of the pressure on her chest. She nodded and squeezed Audrey’s hand without a word, just before slipping out of the passenger seat so she could lead Audrey up to the house.

Neither of them spoke a word as they walked through the house to Brooke’s room, and that was probably for the better. Sure, there was a lot they probably could say, but there was only one thing Brooke wanted to say, that had been on her mind for weeks, and now that they were here, alone, she didn’t know how she was going to keep it in.

_ I love you. _ Those words pressed on the front of her mind like a tumor, a cancer she couldn’t cut out.

The thing about Audrey was that she was supposed to be safe. Brooke had broken things off with Stavo the moment she thought there might be something more than sex between them, and at the time Audrey had seemed like a harmless choice to keep her warm at night. Brooke was honest enough with herself to know that she had made plenty of mistakes in her life, but jesus, did this one take the cake. There had never been anything safe about Audrey, she knew that now.

Brooke silently pushed Audrey’s jacket off her shoulders and pulled her to the edge of the bed. She sat down, then wrapped herself around Audrey’s middle, biting on the inside of her cheek hard enough that she tasted iron. If only she could trade blood for those words on the tip of her tongue.

She couldn’t say it. She  _ couldn’t _ . Not only would she lose Audrey if she said it, she’d lose Emma as well. She’d push both of them away, leaving them to be happy and in love and with a white picket fence and a dog, and she’d be alone. Because Audrey didn’t love her, not like that. To impose those words on Audrey, to make her face the reality of how she actually felt, would be to make her choose. And Brooke was honest enough with herself to know that Audrey would never choose her over Emma.

She wouldn’t say it. She could not say those words that ate her up at night when Audrey held her close and shielded her against the cold of winter. It would only mean losing Audrey like she had lost everyone else, like she lost her dad. Like she had lost Jake.

So maybe that was a little different. She couldn’t blame herself for the deaths of two of the most important people in her life. That was all Kieran’s fault. Kieran, who had been her  _ friend, _ who she’d hung out with and drank with and studied with for almost a year. In the morning, she’d have to sit in a courtroom full of people and look Kieran Wilcox in the face when she knew now that he’d been murdering her friends one by one the entire time she’d ever known him.

She barely bit back a sob as the weight of that hit her again. Had any of them really known Kieran? There were moments, when she thought back, that made her think a part of him had really been there, but then she remembered Jake’s bloodied face and lifeless eyes and it didn't matter to her any longer. Sheep’s clothing or not, Kieran was a monster, with a fitting wolfish grin that still haunted her on nights like these.

Brooke gripped onto Audrey’s waist harder as she pulled back to gaze down at her, her icy blue eyes pale in the moonlight that streamed through the open curtains of her bedroom window. “He killed Jake, Audrey.”

“I know,” Audrey replied quietly. There was an intensity in her gaze that Brooke had never seen before. It was probably just the trial weighing on her.  It was a miracle it hadn’t already crushed them.

"He…” Brooke started, her words trailing off as she felt a familiar sting behind her eyes. “He killed my  _ dad. _ How am I supposed to just look at him, like… How can I look him in the face when I  _ know?” _

Audrey looked down at her for a long moment, combing her fingers through Brooke's hair, as those same damn words burned underneath her skin like a fever.  _ I love you. _

"Because we have to,” she said, finally answering Brooke’s question. It was a question that she hadn’t even expected a real answer to. Audrey held Brooke’s face in her hands and Brooke leaned into her, taking every measure of strength that she could from her touch. “We'll do it because we have to. We owe it to Jake, and your dad, and all of them."

“Yeah." She had to bite the inside of her cheek again to keep herself from saying anything else.

Audrey pulled her close again, unknowingly saving Brooke from the danger of letting something slip. Brooke clung to Audrey, her ear pressed to Audrey’s chest, where she could hear the quiet thump of her heart. She held her close for as long as she could stand it, until she finally pulled Audrey into bed--before she did something stupid. Brooke was never going to send Audrey home, she knew that. She’d find a way to make it up to Emma later for lying.

She had Audrey, at least for the night. Even in the morning, Brooke knew that she would only ever had part of her. Part of the girl that Brooke wanted all of, and who she wanted to give all of herself to. But there would always be some piece of Audrey that belonged solely to Emma, never to her.

So this—falling asleep to the sound of Audrey’s gentle breathing, and the faint tickle of breath on her skin—would have to be enough.

 


	6. hey baby, i'm not your superhuman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey does anyone wanna know what Emma was up to during that whole trial deal? here's your answer, set during chapters 10-12

**** Emma tried to watch the television coverage the first day of the trial. She watched the watercolor sketches of her friends, the lawyers, the judge, and Kieran all flit past in between shots of the Lakewood County Courthouse. The news pundits and “legal experts” talked in endless circles about everything from the prosecution’s case, to the defense strategy, to why she wasn’t on the stand, with raucous enthusiasm as if they were discussing an upcoming football game on ESPN. Their theories ranged from schizophrenia to a cover up to even her being an accomplice in the murders. She wondered, absently, why no one had done a horror movie yet about waking up in a universe where you have to watch strangers dissect the worst moments of your life on twenty-four hour news channels.

By the time they moved on to the conspiracy theories that Audrey or Noah might have really been the ones committing the murders, she was on the verge of vomiting and had to turn the TV off. It wasn’t even noon yet.

She stuck to Netflix after that.

 

* * *

 

Every day she spent at home instead of at the courthouse with her friends was long, boring, and stressful. She was sure that having to endure the trial live and in person was hell on her friends, but watching from a distance somehow felt worse. One day, at a loss for anything better to do, she drove two towns over to catch the new Star Wars movie in the theater in hopes of being distracted for two measly hours.

So many characters die, in the end, and they call it hope.

After it was over, she dumped the rest of her popcorn in the trash and ended up having to fight through three different news crews in the parking lot to get to her car. She  _ hated  _ that she couldn’t go anywhere alone, anymore.

 

* * *

 

The next day, when she was bored to the point of utter frustration, she took up Stavo on his offer to hang out. She’d never really spent a lot of time with Stavo alone, but they were kind of in this together, at this point, standing on the outside while everyone else in their lives spent day in and day out working on putting a murderer behind bars.

They went to The Grindhouse, and he spent the entire time drawing comics while she read some book that Noah had recommended to her. It turned out to be a blessing, because between Stavo’s resting creep face and his bloody comics, he easily scared away anyone who tried to talk to her with a single glare.

Truthfully, it was the nicest day she’d had in awhile, but all he did was shrug when she told him that. She really hadn’t ever given him enough credit, though, because he was the one to ask her next Thursday if she wanted to hang out again.

 

* * *

 

On Will’s birthday, she went to visit his grave. Riley’s, too, since her plot was only a mile or so down the road. She left flowers for them both, and wondered what they’d say if they knew she had elected not to help put away their killer.

Neither of them would be mad, she thought, only disappointed. "That's not the Emma Duval I know," their voices whispered, slightly off key, in her mind.

Despite the cold, she stayed until the sun started to set. It was harder to feel guilt when she couldn’t feel much of anything in the numbing cold winter air.

 

* * *

 

The trial dragged on, and Audrey became more visibly stressed by the day as her turn on the stand rapidly approached. Brooke, too, but she hid it much better. Audrey didn’t even register the cracks that had started to show through Brooke’s normally rock-solid facade. Emma might not have noticed either, if she wasn't so hyper aware for the too few hours a day she got to spend with them now.

Eventually, Emma had to ask. "How is she doing? You know, during the trial."

Brooke blew it off. "Oh, you know, most of it is terrifically boring legal crap. The most difficult part is keeping her awake."

A few years ago, she might have let that go. But now she knew better than that, and she wasn’t willing to let Brooke lie just to make her feel better. "No, Brooke, how is she  _ really?" _

Brooke took a deep breath, and stared across her porch into the nondescript wilderness that framed the backyard of her new house. "She'll do fine. She has to."

 

* * *

 

The day of Audrey's cross-examination dawned cold and wet. Emma tried her best to ignore the seeping feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, at least while Audrey and Brooke were around. She trusted Audrey, but… nothing in her life has ever been this easy.

It took her mom an extra hour that night to come home from the trial. No one had texted her, and ball of dread in her stomach had started to feel like a physical weight. Her mom stumbled a little, on her way in the door. She apologized; apparently she and Acosta had gone out for drinks immediately after the trial.

The dread hardened and sank to an achingly familiar place in her gut, where it had lived for much of this past year.

"That bad?" Emma asked, looking at her mother and doing her best to keep her voice light, to hide her fear with the ease of too much practice.

Her mom didn’t answer right away, a bad sign. "I'll tell you if you want, sweetie, but I really think you should talk to Audrey first."

"He's not going to get off, is he?" Her voice was much quieter, this time.

"Carmichael has a really strong case,” her mom sighed. “But after today? I really don't know."

It took almost another hour for Brooke to finally respond to her text messages, and tell her to come over. By that time the hard ball had crystallized into something sharp that pierced her whenever she moved.

Nothing in her life was ever that easy.

 

* * *

 

Saying that night at Brooke’s house didn’t go well would be a colossal understatement, on par with “her junior year of high school kind of sucked.”

She and Brooke didn't say much, after Audrey left. They just leaned against the kitchen island, holding each other like that would magically glue back together the pieces of them Audrey had ripped apart.

“I’m sure she didn’t mean it, any of it,” she said out loud, to remind both of them. Brooke made a noncommittal noise of acknowledgement in return.

They both knew that wasn’t what mattered here. Not really.

They made it barely twenty minutes before Brooke coughed and pulled away. “Does your mom want you home tonight?”

Emma made a split second decision.

“Yeah, actually. We didn’t have much of a chance to talk about it earlier, like I said,” she explained. “And she’s probably worried.”

“Yeah. That sounds like Maggie,” Brooke sighed, her eyes puffy and red.

“But I’ll only leave if you’re going to be okay….”

Brooke gave her a weak grin. “I’ll be okay, Emma. I always am.”

Emma  _ knew _ she shouldn’t leave her like this, but helping Brooke, and Audrey, had to wait.

She needed to fix her own mistakes, first.

 

* * *

 

She barely stopped to text Noah before calling the number she thought she’d never have to use.

“Heeeeey there, whoops, I mean, uh, hello?” came a slurred greeting on the other end. Carmichael sounded… a little trashed, honestly, but if she didn’t do this now, she never would.

“Hello, Mrs. Carmichael?” she answered, clearing her throat. “It’s Emma. Emma Duval.”

There was a long, pregnant pause after that. Then a clatter.

“Emma. God. I’m so sorry, I don’t know what to tell you–”

Emma didn't let her finish. “I want to testify.”

There was another long pause, and Emma could almost hear the shock radiating from the other end of the phone line through the static. Whatever Carmichael was expecting, it wasn’t that.

“My testimony would single-handedly carry the case, right?” Emma continued, pacing around Brooke’s front lawn. “You said something like that, in our original meeting. So, I want to do it. I want to testify.”

Carmichael certainly sounded more sober now. “Emma. Are you  _ sure _ ? It… well, you probably already know how unpleasant it would be.”

“I’m sure,” she replied steadily. “If I could have done something, and he goes free… I don’t know if I’d be able to live with myself.”

To her credit, Carmichael didn't ask again. Instead, she just asked, “How soon can you be at my office tomorrow morning?”

“Um. How early do you want me there?”

“What is it now? Ten? I can sleep this off by five, and be in my office by six. Does that work?”

Emma knew better than to complain. “Yes.”

“Great. I’ll bring coffee. And tell your mom you’ll be home late. We have a lot of work to do.”

 

* * *

 

When Emma got home, she found her mom still awake, sitting at the kitchen table and nursing a cup of coffee. She almost poured herself one before remembering that tonight had to be an early night, so instead settled across the table from her empty handed.

She was still trying to figure out how to possibly begin this conversation when her mom spoke first.

“You talked to Brooke and Audrey, then?”

“Yes,” Emma replied, feeling a little apprehensive. “And Carmichael. I'm going to testify.”

She looked up to see her mom staring at her in surprise. “Are you sure that's a good idea?”

“I should have done it since the beginning,” she insisted. “I’ll be fine. It’s probably gonna take the whole weekend, though, so I'm going to head straight to bed.”

She was about to stand up, to go upstairs and do just that, before her mom reached out for her hand. “Emma, wait. About you and Audrey…”

Oh, right. That.

Emma could feel her cheeks go red, despite everything. “I'm sorry, Mom, I meant to tell you, but–”

“It's okay, Emma. I knew.”

“You… already knew?” she asked, blinking at her mother in bewilderment.

“Of course I did, honey,” Maggie told her, holding Emma’s hand in both of her own now, gently rubbing her thumb over Emma’s knuckles. “I've seen the way she looked at you for years. I knew it would just be a matter of whether you looked at her too.” A gentle smile spread over her mom’s features, and Emma felt warmth replace the sudden uncertainty and fear that had been coursing through her chest. “... I am a little disappointed you felt like you couldn't trust me, but I knew you would tell me when you were ready.”

Emma drew in a deep sigh, gripping her mom’s hand even tighter. There was  _ so much else  _ going on, but at least she had this. She definitely didn’t have time to cry about it now, but later… later, she could gasp in relief, at the release of a knot deep in her heart that she hadn’t even realized existed.

They clutched each other’s hands a moment longer until her mom stood up to wash out her cup, and Emma took it as a signal that the conversation was over, to head off to bed. But she barely made it to the doorway before her mom called out to for stop her again. When she turned around, her mom was leaning against the sink, exhausted, and Emma suddenly realized how much older her mom had become over the past year, while she hadn't been paying attention. But her eyes—her eyes, at least, were the same kind, loving eyes she had known her entire life.

“You tell me if anyone at school, or at court, is… unaccepting, of you now.” She looked up from the sink to meet Emma’s eyes, firmly holding her gaze. “I talked with Sheriff Acosta about it, a little, and we're going do our best to make sure you don't have to deal with being forced out of the closet on top of, well, everything else, but we can only do that if you trust me.”

Sometimes she forgot how much she and her mom had in common beyond shared genetics. Her mom, in actuality, was probably the only person who could even understand what she was going through right now. She had never been especially overbearing or unreasonably overprotective, but in that hint of steel behind her mother’s gray eyes, Emma was suddenly reminded that no matter what else happened in her life, her mom would  _ always _ be in her corner.

And that… was exactly what she needed, to have a chance at getting through this weekend in one piece.

“She treats you right, though? You're happy?”

After tonight… god. How could she even begin to answer that?

“Yeah, mom,” Emma sighed. She took a moment to lean her head against the doorframe before pushing away, towards the stairs. “We're okay. A little rough after tonight, but, um, we'll be okay.”

She hoped with everything she had that it wasn't a lie.

 

* * *

 

The weekend was  _ exhausting _ . She told Carmichael not to pull any punches, figuring the best way to be prepared for Sterling was to ensure that anything he could throw at her, she’d already practiced fielding and throwing back at him.

But by their fourth hour of cross preperation, late Sunday night, she was starting to regret that.

“So, Emma, you stayed with Kieran—even  _ after _ you suspected him of being the killer?”

She had heard what Sterling was like in the courtroom, but sitting here and attempting to deflect barb after barb as Carmichael channeled him… it was something else entirely.

“I, um, well….yes.”

“And just why should this court trust you on any part of your story, then, when it seems you’ll forget just about anything someone does, as long as they’ll take off their pants for you?”

Emma had absolutely no idea how to answer that, in a courtroom or otherwise. (Except that maybe, if she only dated people she had never suspected of murder, she would never date in Lakewood again.) After a too-long pause, as Emma tried and failed to come up with any sort of appropriate response, Carmichael interrupted her.

“Alright, let’s take a breather,” Carmichael sighed, breaking character, rubbing the space between her brows.

“Mrs. Carmichael, I’m  _ fine _ –”

“Emma.  _ I  _ need a break,” she insisted, holding a hand up to stop Emma. “Could you go out into the hall and get us some water, please?”

She was right, Emma knew. They just had so little time left. She didn't want to waste any of it.

She ended up being grateful, though, because she hadn't made it five steps out of the office before her phone went off.

_ [8:13] Scream Queen: hey i havent heard from u since last night, where have u been? are u okay?? _

She hadn't decided whether she wanted to respond before she got another, this time from Audrey.

If they were worried enough to be talking to each other, then she  _ had  _ to respond.

_ [8:17] Survivor Girl: Everything is fine, I promise. I'm sorry I've been gone, we can talk tomorrow, okay? _

She couldn’t come up with anything better, at least not while her whole body was still ringing with adrenaline and a faint sense of nausea; that all-too-familiar fight or flight response.

She took a deep breath, and headed back into Carmichael’s office.

She’d never really been good at flight.

 

* * *

 

“The state calls Emma Duval to the stand.”

She barely registered the din of the courtroom in front of her, instead favoring to watch realization ripple across the faces at the defense’s desk.

Kieran jumped like someone shocked him and turned to stare at her. She met his gaze, steadily, and he seemed even more surprised, breaking eye contact first.

She had no reason to be afraid of him anymore. She had all the power here, now.

It was about time someone reminded him of that.

 

* * *

 

The entire weekend was worth it for the look of defeat on Sterling’s face after he finished her cross, as he slumped back bonelessly into his chair.


End file.
